Quarreling For My Future
by ilovetvalot
Summary: A confrontation with Will opens JJ to new possibilities for her future. This story follows the stories "The Journey", "The Way Home", "A Private Conversation" and "A Fantasy Realized". Co-auth'd with tonnie2001969
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: This story follows "The Journey," "The Way Home", "A Private Conversation", and "A Fantasy Realized". Hope you all enjoy the latest installment.**_

**Quarreling For My Future**

**Chapter One**

Dropping the phone back into the cradle on her desk, JJ dropped her head against the heel of her other hand tiredly. Mission one was completed. Penelope Garcia would keep a watchful eye on her son until JJ had dealt with the dissolution of her relationship with Will tonight. There really wasn't another way. Despite how her revelation had shocked Emily on the plane ride home, this break up had been in the making since before her baby was born.

At first, she'd told herself that Will's controlling, mercurial attitude was a result of her pregnancy – that his intentions had been pure and he'd sought only to try and protect her and his unborn son. And then Henry had arrived. And while he'd still tried to control her actions and influence her to leave the Bureau, he'd not shown any real interest in parenting. Quite the opposite. If she wasn't with their son, he happily relinquished his care to Henry's godmother, Penelope Garcia. He'd spent no more time with his son than absolutely necessary. And that simple fact had opened her eyes as nothing else could have.

Her son shared a greater bond with the men she worked with, Hotch, Morgan, Reid and most definitely David Rossi, than he did with his own father. And damn if William LaMontagne didn't seem to prefer it that way. No, there was no way this relationship could survive. She hoped he'd want to take an active role in Henry's life; she never wanted to deprive either Henry or Will of that relationship. But, she wouldn't stay in a situation where she was constantly belittled and forced to defend every decision she made. That didn't provide Henry with a stable home life, which was her primary goal. And contrary to Emily's probing questions, it had nothing to do with her developing feelings for a certain older profiler.

Although, if she was completely truthful, the knowledge that she did look at Rossi with something other than cool professionalism had been another glaring neon sign that something was wrong in her relationship with Will. But, who could blame her? Where Will was hostile and combative regarding her career, David Rossi had been patient and understanding, patiently allowing her to vent her frustrations to him more than once.

Granted, it was a challenge balancing the pressures of being an agent with the demands of motherhood. But, the Bureau was filled with women that did it every day. And it wasn't as though she didn't have supportive colleagues. She and Henry would be fine without Will in their day to day lives. And she had to believe that her son would be much more content without the inevitable daily arguments she and Will had been having.

Taking a sip of her tepid coffee, she realized that she couldn't put this off forever. Will was already going to be angry when she got home…and no doubt, he'd be much angrier before the night was finished. But after tonight, at least it WOULD be finished. And she could begin picking up the threads of her life, weaving a new pattern for her and her son. Whether David Rossi chose to be included in that pattern remained to be established.

She thought he was interested. How much so was debatable. So far, he'd been a friendly shoulder to lean on. She couldn't deny that she'd detected the soft glow of masculine interest in his gaze, secretly gaining a thrill at the thought that he would view her in that way. She'd chosen to ignore it up until recently. And he was enough of a gentleman that he hadn't pressed or pursued. But sometimes, in the still of the night, she wished he would. Then, at least she would be sure about what she thought she saw in his gaze.

As if her mere thoughts could conjure the man himself, JJ lifted her head as she heard a light rap against her partially ajar door, fighting back an involuntary smile as she realized who was there.

"Are you planning on hiding in here all night, Jen?" Dave asked with a raised brow as he poked his head inside her office, narrowing his eyes as he catalogued the stress lines playing around her beautiful eyes.

Rising to stand behind her desk, JJ reached for her black leather bag. "Actually, I was just getting ready to walk out. I'm not really looking forward to what's coming at home though," JJ sighed, feeling more than just the weight of the tote settling on her shoulders.

"Meaning?" Dave asked, staring at the deceptively fragile looking woman in front of him.

"Meaning that it's time to end the farce of a relationship that I'm in. Will's reaction today sealed the deal," JJ said quietly, watching his face for a reaction.

Her pronouncement sent his pulse racing, but Dave made every effort to remain impassive, leaning casually against the doorframe. "You're sure about that, Jen?"

Stepping around the desk as she reached for her coat, she stopped just in front of him. "You think I'm making a mistake?" she asked, raising her head to stare into his ebony eyes, searching for an answer in his gaze.

Truthfully, he didn't. But he also knew that he couldn't make this decision for her. His opinion didn't matter in the long run. Holding her steady gaze for a long, charged moment, Dave could feel the electricity between them. And he'd promised himself that he wouldn't push her…wouldn't sway her. After all, this woman did share a son with LaMontagne. If there was any hope at all for them, the only honorable thing he could do was stay out of it despite how much he wanted her. "I think," Dave said slowly, "you are a very intelligent woman fully capable of making the decision that is right for you and your son."

Tilting her head, JJ stared into his dark hooded eyes as she murmured, shaking her head, "That's not really an answer though, is it, Dave?"

"It's the only one I can offer you right now, Jen," Dave replied cautiously, guarding his words as easily as he guarded his emotions. "I won't be that guy," he added as he saw her eyes narrow on his face.

"What guy?" JJ asked, confused as she watched him take a step backward.

"The guy that wrecks a family," Dave returned tersely, his words clipped as he fought down the desire to do just that. "You have to do what's right for you without any influence from anybody else. And that includes me, Jen. Only you can make this decision."

Licking her lips, JJ knew the wise thing to do would be to smile and walk away. But, in that moment, she couldn't imagine walking away without knowing if what she sensed from him was real or a wishful figment of her imagination. "I need to ask you something first. It won't change tonight's outcome. I've already decided what I'm going to do…ending things with Will."

"What do you want to know, JJ?" Dave asked evenly, knowing that he couldn't deny her anything.

"Am I imagining what I feel between us, David?" JJ asked unsteadily, studying his face in the dim light of her office.

Shaking his head, Dave grimaced. Damn it, why did she have to ask him that now? How was he supposed to answer that question without coming between her and Will? Turning his head, he stared out her darkened office window at the grey sky. "Ask me that question again after you resolve things with Will, Jen."

"Why?" JJ asked, trying desperately to read something in his neutral expression, needing a sign, a signal of any kind to assuage her shaking thoughts.

"Because anything I say right now might sway you and I won't do that," Dave said, his voice implacable in the quiet office. As much as he wanted to declare his love for her, he wouldn't sacrifice a future with her for a quick present. Not this time.

JJ deserved better, and he was going to make sure she had it.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note – So, tell me, folks, are you enjoying this series? What would you like to see happen?**_

**Quarreling For My Future**

**Chapter Two**

Standing outside the door to her quaint brownstone, JJ inhaled the crisp fall air, the lingering scent of apples from the tree standing in front of her home teasing her nostrils. She usually enjoyed this time of year. From watching the leaves change color from deep green to burnt orange and red to snuggling up with a mug of sweet, hot apple cider on the couch with a good paperback book, fall had always been a time of comfort for her. Until this year. So far, this year's autumn had been fraught with heartache and drama, grays outweighing the robust colors, but she planned to end that tonight.

It was time. Long past time, when she was honest with herself. It was obviously not going to work between her and Will…and that had nothing to do with the niggling feelings that she had for Rossi. She and the Cajun man were simply too different. Will wanted an old-fashioned, traditional relationship. She couldn't fault him for the desire; his background and culture had taught him from the cradle what he should want. But, she couldn't give that to him. Honestly, she had no desire to try. That wasn't who she was and no amount of melding and molding on Will's part was going to change who and what she was at the core of her being. It was time to release them both from this travesty of a relationship.

Wrapping her hand around the cold metal doorknob, JJ inserted her key quickly, listening to the tumblers as they turned. Stepping inside her house, she dropped her black bag on the entry way table and immediately noticed that the house was entirely silent…not even the usual background noise from the television permeated the air. A slight chill ran down her spine as she stepped further into the dimly lit house.

Walking into the small living room, the only light shined from the muted television set. Reaching for the light switch on the wall, she heard Will's harshly ordered, "Leave it off, JJ," from his position in the corner of the room.

Jumping slightly, JJ turned sharply toward his voice. "Jesus! You scared the hell out me, Will!"

"You?" he asked snidely, biting out the word. "Nothin' scares YOU, chere. Not even shovel wielding unsubs from what I hear," he added sarcastically, his jaw clicking with each word.

And they were off to the races, JJ thought tiredly, looking at the man she'd once thought she'd spend the rest of her life with as he raised the long necked bottle of beer to his mouth. Sighing, JJ shoulders slumped a bit as she thought of the confrontation that she knew was coming. But first, she had to ascertain if he'd be sober enough to remember it later. "Are you drunk?" she asked sharply, narrowing her eyes on the bottle he held between his thumb and forefinger.

"What if I am?" he snapped, glaring at her. "What's it to you? Not like there's ever anybody here to stay sober for, is there, JJ?"

"Because you and I need to have a serious conversation, Will. And I'd prefer that you'd be sober when we have it," JJ retorted, walking determinedly toward the kitchen. She was going to have this conversation once, and once only. "I'll make some coffee."

"What kind of serious conversation, JJ?" Will asked suspiciously, pushing out of the deep recliner to trail her into the kitchen.

Grabbing the coffee pot blindly, JJ filled the glass pitcher with water, dumping it into the coffee maker as she deliberated how best to answer his question. She had a feeling that her words would be taken out of context, no matter what she said, but she wanted to balance her emotions, not adding additional fireworks to an already obviously volatile situation.

Watching her add a filter to the receptacle and measure even scoops of coffee into it, Will glared at her as she punched the red button on the side, the gurgle of the machine echoing in the quiet kitchen. "Well, say something!"

Taking a deep breath, JJ turned to face Will across the length of the kitchen. "There's no easy way to say or do this, Will," JJ began quietly, the words hanging in the quiet room.

"Do what? Seems to me like there's a real simple solution to all our problems, JJ. Stay home. Be a mother," he said hatefully, swinging the bottle by his side. "Let me finally make an honest woman out of you!"

"That isn't going to happen, Will," JJ said softly, meeting his dark eyes across the room as she clenched the edge of the counter. "I'm sorry. But it isn't. Not now. Not ever."

"What do you mean by that?" Will asked angrily, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "What do you mean not ever? We have a son together, damn it! A life together!"

"Will, we both know that we haven't been together in the way a couple should be in a very long time," JJ said quietly, shaking her head as she tried to make him see reason.

"And whose fault is that?" he asked roughly, taking an angry step forward as he glared at her. "I'm not the one here that turned into a frigid, icy bitch after that kid was born," he accused.

"That KID is YOUR son," JJ replied through clenched teeth, her hackles rising as she defended her son. "And his birth had nothing to do with my changing feelings. YOU did. You and your attitude!"

"There's not anything wrong with my attitude, JJ. You're the one with the problem. I want what every man wants. A normal woman that wants to be with me…just me. I don't want to have to compete with a job for your attention. I should come first."


	3. Chapter 3

**Quarreling For My Future**

**Chapter Three**

"No, Will, my son comes first," JJ said, shaking her head as she straightened her shoulders, glaring at him as she wondered, once again, how she could have misjudged him this badly.

"No, he doesn't," Will denied with a vicious shake of his head. "That damn career of yours does. It always has!" he accused, rage coloring his words.

"My job IS very important to me. I'm good at it. I enjoy it. But that pales in comparison to what I feel for my son. And, if I ever thought that the job was impairing my ability to be a good mother, I'd give it up in a heartbeat. But it doesn't." Shifting slightly, she felt herself tensing, her body preparing for something unknown. "You're the one with the problem with my career. Not Henry. And I won't give up what I've done within the Bureau for you or any man. I'm sorry, Will. I truly am. But, you and I are done," JJ told him with a finality, tightening her grip on the counter behind her as she faced him.

As she made her pronouncement, Will's face reddened, flushing with rage and bitterness. "Are you fucking kidding me here?" he hissed. "You're walking out on me?"

"No," JJ said simply, meeting his gaze with a steadiness she didn't quite feel, "I'm telling you that it's time to go. We can work out some kind of custody arrangement for Henry, but this is my home. And you aren't welcome in it after tonight. We're done."

"I'm not going anywhere, JJ," Will replied, his words icy. "And neither are you."

"Don't make this ugly, Will," JJ begged tiredly, reaching a hand up to massage her aching temple. The head pain from earlier returning full force with a vengeance. "It doesn't need to be. This can be an amiable split. I don't want Henry to suffer for our mistakes. He deserves two parents that aren't constantly at war with one another."

"Maybe you should have thought about that before opening your mouth then," Will hissed.

"Will, we don't want the same things. You want a homemaker, and there isn't a thing wrong with that, but I'm not her. I don't even want to try to be her. And I'm not going to," JJ said determinedly, propping a tired hand on her hip.

"What the fuck is it that you want, JJ?" Will asked bitterly. "I'm offering you the fucking world!"

"That's just it, Will. I don't want the world that you're offering. I want what everyone wants. I want to be happy. And I haven't been happy with you in a very long time. I don't even know if we were EVER truly happy," JJ replied sadly, not even able to conjure a simple memory that could be classified as joyful. "We had sex and I got pregnant. We fell into this relationship because you wanted to do the honorable thing and I was too scared to try doing it on my own. It was easy to allow myself to depend on you. I admit that it was a selfish reason on my part. But, you have to know, I tried to make myself love you…I told myself that I did…and I do love you for helping me make our son. But I'm not in love with you. I don't want to be your wife or your girlfriend. I don't want to do this anymore," she said, gesturing between them as she reached for the brewed coffee.

"You bitch," Will snarled softly, his expression darkened. "You fucking bitch!" he yelled, knocking the coffeepot out of her hand, the glass shattering against the wall as the scalding liquid hit JJ's arm.

"Oww!" JJ screamed in pain, tears springing to her eyes as she threw herself toward the sink, quickly doused her arms with cold water, knowing she had seconds to stop the burn.

"Maybe now you'll listen to reason," Will said coldly.

Lifting her head to look at him through blurry, tear dimmed eyes, JJ saw no remorse for his actions…only pure hatred. His eyes seemed to glow with it, emanating in waves.

"Get out," JJ ordered tightly, clenching her fist by her side as she subconsciously reached for her non-existent weapon, her training kicking into high gear. "I'll have your things packed up and waiting on the stoop by morning, but you and I are finished. Our attorneys can work out a custody arrangement, but I want no further contact with you."

Smiling grimly, Will shook his head. "No need. I'm done playing house with you and your brat," Will growled. "You can have him and the shitty life you'll make together," he said in parting, storming out the door.

Closing her eyes as she heard the echoing slam of the front door and the roar of his truck's engine, she breathed deeply, the stinging pain washing over her arms. Looking down, she glared at the rapidly rising angry red welts and shook her head. He hadn't even been sorry. He hadn't even faked it for appearance sake. And somewhere inside she knew that she might just have saved her and Henry's lives by ending this now.

Finally pulling her arms from the water, she reached for the phone as she patted her aching skin with a dishtowel, wincing at the light touch. She knew she couldn't call Dave. Whether he felt more for her than friendship or not, this violence would send him into a livid rage. And she'd seen enough violence today. Emily was out, too. She wouldn't ruin her evening with Hotch for the world. Penelope had her baby. So, that left Morgan and Reid. Hesitating, JJ made a quick decision. Morgan was the boss, however, temporarily, and she definitely didn't want this to be something he had to deal with. Dialing Spence's number by rote, she waited for their resident genius to pick up. Hopefully, she could coerce her longtime friend to keep a secret.

_**FINIS**_

_**A/N – So do you guys want this series to continue??? Let me know!**_


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